One well known approach to providing access to stored electronic resources is to use a “file manager” approach in which user-defined named physical storage sets or areas, sometimes referred to as “folders”, are used to store and provide access to electronic resources. An example of a simple folder arrangement is folders named with client names within which further folders named with case names or identifiers are stored. Electronic resources such as word documents and emails for a particular case for a particular client are stored in the appropriate folder. Disadvantages of the file manager approach include: the user needs to exercise good discipline to set-up and maintain the structure which in reality is rarely, if ever, exercised; sometimes a single resource may relate to two or more subjects and therefore there is uncertainty where to store the resource. Furthermore, in some instances an electronic resource may not fit into a particular folder structure, and often users have “general” or “miscellaneous” folders for this kind of item which overtime can become very large. Consequently, there is delay and frustration when later trying to locate and access resources, with the user possibly having to resort to multiple searches for misplaced or “lost” electronic resources. Overall, with the routine use of computers both for leisure and business and the high numbers of electronic resources, not least emails, which users need to process, store and later access, there are significant inefficiencies of using a file manager approach particularly when electronic resources become misplaced or “lost”.
The present invention is made with the above considerations in mind and seeks to provide an improved way of providing access to stored electronic resources.